Jaladhara Pumpset Since 1962 Malayalam Movie
A strong sense of urge to spread the hues of virtue is evident in 'Jaladhara Pumpset Since 1962,' the directorial venture by Ashish Chinnappa. This courtroom drama has the purpose of depicting the procrastination in the judicial system, besides conveying the warmth of tolerance. Sanu K Chandran's story has the screenplay co-written by Ashish Chinnappa and Prajin MP. The film talks nineteen to the dozen about court hearings as well as adjournment of case. And we witness the parties concerned in this case appearing before the magistrate and then they go back to their personal affairs. This repetitive trait of the plot contributes to creating an insipid milieu which deeply affects the film.
The prolonged sequences of Mrinalini teacher, played by Urvashi, fighting for the verdict of her seven-year-old case in 2019 expose the reality in our legal system. But during the process, the narration becomes exasperating as the events offer very few riveting things. The accused, Motor Mani (Indrans), refuses to admit his crime even as he was caught red-handed while stealing the pump set at night in 2012. Mrinalini carries on with the case after the death of her husband Chandran (Vijayaraghavan). Interestingly, Mrinalini is on good terms with the villagers including Mani and she distributes meals and snacks during her journey to court every time.
The scene of Mani enjoying the homely meal given by Mrinalini opens the possibility of ending the case. But Mani is adamant that he won't confess. Both Mrinalini and Mani have issues with their daughters- Chippy (Sanusha) and Anjali (Anjali Sunil Kumar) respectively. Mani fears that Anjali, who is sulky with her father due to the theft case, would ditch him forever if he confessed the crime in court while Mrinalini wants to win the case despite Chippy's objection. Mrinalini's journeys are with her driver Unni (Sagar), who stands with her during her thick and thin. Chippy, a government servant, wants to marry and go away from her village in Palakkad while her mother wishes to marry her off to a house in that village. Quite often, they are at loggerheads due to their selfish stance.
Advocate Ravi (TG Ravi) appears for Mrinalini in court and Swamy (Johny Antony) represents Mani. TG Ravi has an impressive appearance in 'Jaladhara Pumpset Since 1962' and he gleefully exploits his space with his typical performance. In fact, Urvashi excels in shouldering the film despite its prolonged and repetitive dramatic nature. She takes extra efforts in making the protagonist swayed by the major conflict in the plot. The exuberance of the seasoned actress aided by her vast experience sets the movie to a watchable terrain and she brings off ample emotions effortlessly. Indeed, Urvashi is in full flow while depicting Mrinalini's woes and her conflict with Chippy.
The portrayal of Mani by Indrans is appealing enough to go our sympathies with the character for the dilemma he undergoes. Indrans elegantly portrays Mani's helplessness as an unlucky father of Anjali and failed husband of Lalitha (Nisha Sarang).
Sanusha could neatly present Chippy though the character's extreme urgency to get married and meeting strangers with marriage proposals in the absence of Mrinalini is far-fetched. Sajith Purushan's aesthetic visuals ably bring out the charm of rustic landscape of Palakkad and Kailas lends apt background score to elevate the impact. Director Ashish tries to evoke the feel-good effect in the flick but it appears to be contrived and raises the query in the climax: Why this could not be done earlier sans overstretching the events?
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